Red Wine-Braised Beef Pot Roast in Potato Skins

Canada Beef was a proud partner of Food & Drink’s 30th Anniversary Event where guests enjoyed this recipe, adapted from the original created by Christopher St. Onge for the Holiday 2017 issue of Food & Drink magazine (www.lcbo.com/foodanddrink). All the components of this knockout hors d’oeuvre can be made ahead of time – even the fried potato skins. Which, of course, means it’s party perfect. Frying in olive oil is a luxury here but common in Mediterranean countries where it is considerably cheaper than here. It does make for tasty potato skins, so it’s worth a go if you’re feeling flush.
Yield 36 Servings Prep. Time 45 min Cooking Time 180 min Total Time ??? min

Ingredients

Here are the following ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil, divided
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup (60 mL) EACH finely chopped carrot and celery
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) EACH all-purpose flour and tomato paste
  • 1 lb (500 g) Boneless Beef Blade Pot Roast
  • Salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 1 cup (250 mL) dry red wine
  • ½ cup (125 mL) beef broth or water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 18 mini yellow-flesh potatoes, halved
  • Peanut or olive oil, for frying
  • Sea salt

Arugula Salsa Verde

  • 1 cup (250 mL) firmly packed arugula
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh oregano leaves
  • 1½ tsp (7 mL) red wine vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 oil-packed anchovy fillets
  • 3 tbsp (45 mL) extra virgin olive oil

Shopping List

Here are the following shopping items to buy:

Directions

Follow these cooking methods/directions: 1. Heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the oil with butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cook onion and garlic, stirring often, for 3 minutes, until starting to soften. Stir in carrot, celery and rosemary; cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in flour and tomato paste. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and set aside. 2. Wipe pot clean and return to high heat. Cut beef into 3 or 4 large chunks and pat dry with paper towel; season all over with salt and pepper to your taste. Add remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil to pot; brown beef for about 6 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Pour in wine and broth; stir in reserved vegetable mixture. Boil for 1 minute or until thickened. Add bay leaf. 3. Cover and bake in preheated 325°F (160°C) oven for 2½ hours or until meat is fork-tender. 4. Meanwhile, prepare the potato halves by using a melon baller to scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a ¼-inch (5 mm) layer of potato next to the skin (reserve flesh for use in hash browns or another use). Heat a 2-inch (5 cm) depth of peanut oil over medium heat in a deep pot until it reaches 375°F (190°C) on a deep-fry/candy thermometer. Fry potato skins, in batches, for 3 minutes or until golden brown; remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Season with sea salt. Let drain. (Potato skins may be made up to 1 day in advance, covered and refrigerated until ready to warm and serve.) 5. Once beef is tender, remove from braising liquid with slotted spoon, and transfer to cutting board. Discard bay leaf from liquid. Cut meat into ½-inch (1 cm) chunks. Return to liquid. (Beef can be cooked up to 3 days in advance; cover and refrigerated until ready to heat and serve.) 6. Arugula Salsa Verde: Up to 2 hours before serving, combine arugula, oregano, vinegar, garlic, anchovies and oil in a food processor; pulse until the consistency of pesto, scraping down sides as necessary. Set aside. 7. To serve, if necessary, reheat beef and sauce on stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. Heat potatoes on an unlined baking sheet in preheated 375 to 425°F (190 to 220°C) oven for about 1 minute, until warm. 8. Arrange potatoes on a serving platter, spoon meat and sauce into each potato and garnish with a small spoonful of Arugula Salsa Verde.